Brantford basketball star wins gold with Team Ontario

Kendra Van Leeuwen and her Ontario teammates didn't just beat the field at the 2013 Basketball Canada under-15 national championships, they crushed it.

The 15-year-old Brantford native helped Ontario win gold last week by going 5-0 at the tournament in Newfoundland, including a 68-39 win against Quebec in the gold medal game.

In total, Ontario outscored its opponents by an average of 28 points in its five games to claim the championship.

“We were playing amazing,” said Van Leeuwen, who will be entering Grade 10 at St. John's College in September.

“Every single person on our team was already on the court before the buzzer went off, already celebrating. It was an experience I don't think I could ever replay. It's still in my mind.”

While Ontario's performance was great, Van Leeuwen's was outstanding.

After taking part in tryouts in February and then being told she had made the team in May, Van Leeuwen and her teammates got together after the school year for a pair of tournaments.

In Chicago, the team went 3-2 and in Washington, it was 4-1. However, the competition was a little older, making the records that much better.

“In those two tournaments we were playing a year up,” said Van Leeuwen, explaining her team's 15-year-olds were playing against 16-year-olds.

“It was a higher level of competition for us. I think that helped us so much. We got to put ourselves in situations where we were uncomfortable and we could learn from those situations for when it really counted.”

At the national championships, Ontario was ranked fourth and played first-ranked Quebec and second-ranked British Columbia in pool play. After beating Quebec 60-47 and B.C. 59-38, teams were reseeded following pool play with Ontario getting the No. 1 seed.

“It was an amazing experience,” Van Leeuwen said. “We went in there and we're like, 'OK, we're going to show them we're here to play.'

“To end up winning both games against the first and second ranked teams . . . it was a fantastic experience to share with my teammates.”

That earned Ontario a bye before a 72-13 quarter-final win against P.E.I. and a 64-46 victory versus Nova Scotia in the semifinals.

That set up another game against Quebec, with Ontario scoring the championship win.

Van Leeuwen, who played under-14 for Ontario last year — although there was no national championship — was named her team's most valuable player in three games during the tournament.

She could have won a fourth when she was the team's leading scorer, rebounder and assister, but the coaches obviously wanted to spread things around.

“She guarded the best player on the other team every game and she was still the leading scorer for most games,” said her dad, Steve. “She got player of the game three times.

“The coaches were tickled. They couldn't believe the stuff she was doing.”

Van Leeuwen said she was pleased with her play but it was a total team effort.

“I thought I played good,” said the point guard. “It's not just me though, it's my team. I think putting all the talents we have here in Ontario together, to win a national championship together as a team was the topping on a cake.”

Van Leeuwen, who went to the nationals with her mom, Lisa, sister, Kelly, and her dad, will now be off until the high school season starts. Obviously a Brant County championship run is in her immediate plans but she's already mapping her future.

“I hopefully want to get a scholarship and go to university,” she said. “Maybe one day I hope to make the national team.”